Perfect Little Life
by Confession
Summary: Craig deserves a happy ending...But he has to work for it.
1.

Chapter 1

Friday Early June

_Craig and the band in his garage_

"I'll see you guys later I got dinner with Hazel." Jimmy said as he left the garage. "I'll see you guys when I get back from Basketball camp."

"Hey Craig what are you doing this weekend?" Marco asked as he put his guitar away.

"Well I think it is going to be another exciting weekend in Angieland."

"Dude, you need to get out more. You've done like nothing since the whole baby thing." Spinner said thumping Craig on the back.

"Yeah well I have alienated every girl at school, because if I didn't cheat on them I cheated on their friend. And you guys all hangout with your girlfriends, and well I cheated on their friends. I'm a pariah."

"Marco doesn't have a girlfriend so unless you had sex with Dylan I think you're ok."

"Yeah but we always hang-out with you and Paige. And when we don't, and we do actually get time alone together, we kinda like it that way, no offense Craig. What about Sean, you guys use to be tight."

"Dating Ellie, who has made a career out of hating me."

"Well dude, sorry." Marco was interrupted by a horn. "Speaking of alone time with Dylan. I'll see you guys later."

"Bye Marco. So Spin you in a rush back to the woman?"

"Nope, in fact," he paused to make sure Marco had closed the door. "I think you need me."

"Spin I'll be fine, go have fun."

"Oh I will but I need to take you to this place my cousin told me about."

"Spin, why do I have the feeling that this is one of your stupid ideas?"

"Listen, Joey lets you do pretty much whatever you want right?

"As long as I'm home by 2 am yes."

"Well that's a good 4 hours at a bar or club. Meet some ladies get a couple drinks."

"Spin I'm not 19, I just turned 16. And raves are what got me in trouble the last time."

"Well that's where this place comes in. It will make you 19."

"Fake ID?"

"Fake ID!"

"I don't know Spin, in the last 6 months I've broken two girls hearts, alienated everyone I know got a girl pregnant then had her abort my baby. I don't think I want to add arrested to that list of accomplishments."

"That's the thing. If you go to little bars near the University you'll meet Uni girls and the cops turn a blind eye."

"Fine, but if I get caught I'm calling you and you are bailing me out."

"Or at least getting Jimmy to front me the money."

"So where is this place?"

"Come one, do you have $50?"

"Yeah, upstairs."

"Then let's go time's a-wastin'!"

Craig and Spin walked into a small travel agency and Spinner walked up to a disinterested looking girl on a phone behind the front desk.

"Excuse me miss I'm looking for Ida?" The girl looked up at the boys.

"Josh I'll call you back." She hung up the phone. "So how do you know Ida?"

"She's a friend of my cousin Bart."

"Okay, follow me." She stood up and they walked through a set of wooden doors which she promptly turned around and locked. The room was obviously used to take passport pictures. She turned to Craig and Spinner. "$25 each?"

"Spin!"

"Dude I'll pay you back." Craig rolled his eyes and handed the wad of five and ten dollar bills to the girl who counted it and stuffed it into her bra.

"You guys ever go to Buffalo?"

"Um," Craig looked at Spinner who shrugged. "Why?"

"Because I think you two could pass as 21 and if you go to Buffalo at all you kinda need it to be 21. But it's always safer to stick closer to your own age, less likely to raise eyebrows. So if you never go to the US then stick with 19."

"You know what, let's go with 21." Said Craig, which raised Spinner's eyebrows.

"Ok sit there." The girl took their pictures and then asked their birthdates and names

"Why do you need that?" Craig asked getting nervous.

"Don't worry we don't keep records, it just cuts down on chances of you screwing the info up if it's as true as possible. Your real name, your real birthday, but the year says 1983." Fifteen minutes later Spinner and Craig walked out with cards in their pockets.

Saturday Early June

_Craig is walking toward the front door_

"Craig hold on a second." Joey called from the kitchen. "I know I should have asked you earlier but can you watch Ange tonight so I can go bowling with Snake?"

"Joey I have plans, call Emma, she and Chris like sitting for Ange, it gets them out of the house."

"I'm sorry Craig, I've gotten so use to you being around the house. I can stay in. I'm glad you're getting out. You got a date?"

"No."

"Going out with the guys?"

"No. I heard about this photography show at UT and I want to go. Maybe meet some other photographers."

"Well good, meeting new people is good, but I don't know how I feel about you hanging out at the University."

"How much trouble can I get in at an art gallery?"

"You're right, it's not like you can go out drinking or anything."

"Right." Craig gave Angie a kiss on her forehead and walked towards the door. Joey followed him and closed the front door behind him.

"Craig listen. I know you've been depressed since the whole.....situation with Manny. I'm glad you're getting out, but if you need to talk about it I'm here for you."

"Thanks Joey, but I'm ok. I mean what happened with Manny made me feel like my dad. I thought I was going to loose it when she aborted my baby. I wanted to hurt her. So I kept to myself and I realized that I as allowed to be angry, but that didn't give me the right to hurt anybody and that's what makes me different from my dad. The whole idea of being a dad and then loosing that just really made me introverted for a while, but I'm fine and see I talked to you. Happy?"

"Yeah, it's good to know where you're at. Have a good time." Joey went back inside and Craig hopped into his little beat up Volkswagen. It wasn't much but it was his gift from Joey for his 16th birthday.

Twenty minutes later Craig stood in front of a bar with a distinctly artsy flare. A sign on the window says 'Open Mic Night' so Craig went into his trunk and grabbed his guitar. This was going to be fun.

"ID kid?" Craig was stopped from entering by a very very large bald man.

"_Stay calm Craig"_ he thought as he reached into his pocket and handed it to the man.

"Thank you very much Mr. Manning. Just see the bar tender to sign up for a spot. You'd better hurry it's filling up."

"Thanks," Craig took his ID back and walked to the bar. "Hey, can I get um.....I don't know what's good here?"

The girl behind the bar had long dark hair and when she turned around her blue eyes met Craig's and she gave him a coy smile. "Well our beer is pretty much domestic crap. Nothing but Labat and Coors Light. If I were you I'd go with a mixed drink, but I refuse to serve you a girly drink."

"Um...well ok. Then give me a....you know what surprise me."

"Ok," she turned and began mixing. "So you wanna play?"

"Play what?"

"Well unless that's a machine gun in your hand I was thinking guitar."

"Oh, oh yeah, I mean yeah, yes I'm a songwriter."

"Ok. Well I just had a guy drop out, so I have an opening in about 15 minutes." She said putting a glass on the bar. "$7 please."

"Yeah," he handed her a ten. "Keep the change."

"Thanks, what's your name?"

"Craig, what's yours."

"Craig?" she wrote something on a sheet of paper. "Like Cher?"

"Oh" he was not real smooth. "Manning."

"Well Craig Manning what will you be performing this evening?"

"Um. _Past Future_ it's an original composition."

"Ok. Well just have a seat and I'll call your name when it's your turn."

"I'll do that then." Craig turned to walk away kicking himself for his lack of suave.

"Cass." She called after him.

"Huh?" He turned around and almost slopped his drink out of the glass.

"My name, is Cass, short for Cassidy."

"Oh," he said taking a sip of his drink and flinching a bit but liking it overall. "By the way what is this?"

"Whiskey Sour."

"It's good."

"I'm glad."

Craig sat down at a table near the bar and listened to a rather sad rendition of _My Hear Will Go On. _Not that he thought there was a particularly good rendition of it, but if somewhere out there was a good rendition, this was definitely not it.

"Ok," Cass got up and picked up a mic. "Our next act is Craig Manning performing an original composition called _Past Future_." Everyone clapped and Craig got up on the stage. He pulled out his guitar and strummed it thanking his guardian angel for doing something right for once. It was tuned.

"Hi I'm Craig and this is my latest piece. It has yet to leave my garage so I hope you like it."

"_Never? Again/ Never Before?/ Long for memory/ In a black whole/ Stretching times/ Bending minds/ Remembering the future/ Living for the past/ Ghosts in the bed/ Preminitions in the playground/ Broken by you yesterday/ Met you today/ Mourning/ What we will have/ Discovering/ What we were before/ What has been?/ Will be again?/ Can we change the past future?" _Craig looked up from his guitar and Cass was looking at him with a look of astonishment on her face. He got down from the small stage and walked to the bar. She announced the next performer and then went behind the bar.

"That was amazing. I haven't heard something like that in here in a long time."

"Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. Can I get another drink?"

"Of course," she said mixing up another sour and handing it to him. He tried to hand her another ten. "No that one is on the house. Listen this isn't something I usually do, honestly, I don't want you to think I'm a slut or anything."

"I won't just say it."

"Well I get off in an hour when Shelly gets here, would you wanna come back to my place and have some wine? I would love to hear more of your stuff."

"Are you a musician?" Craig asked getting excited, but not wanting to seem too eager.

"No, but I appreciate any kind of art if it's any good. Actually, I'm a photographer."

"Me too," now he knew he must be dreaming, a gorgeous girl who loved his music was into photography and didn't know a thing about Manny or Ashley. "I have my portfolio in the car. You know what, a bottle of wine sounds wonderful."

"Cool. Well I need to wait on other customers, drink up and we'll go in about an hour."

"Ok," he said flashing her his best smile. He looked at his watch. Eleven. An hour would be midnight. Even if her house was in the right direction that would still only give him an hour and a half before his curfew. He didn't think she'd be real impressed if he ran out after an hour and a half and he certainly couldn't tell her about his curfew she thought he was at least 19. He pulled out his cell and dialed. "Spinner"

"Dude this better be important. Paige's parents are out of town."

"Well can I tell Joey I'm sleeping at your house?"

"No, because I told my mom I was sleeping at Jimmy's"

"Ok fine," he hung up and dialed another number. "Marco it's Craig"

"Hey what's up?"

"Can I tell Joey I'm sleeping at your place?"

"No way I told my parents I was staying at Jimmy's"

"Right Dylan and Paige's parents are out of town." Craig gave an involuntary cringe. What Marco wanted to do was his own business and Craig was glad he was happy, but the mental image he just got wasn't one that he ever wanted again.

"Sorry"

"It's fine I'll talk to you later." He dialed Jimmy hoping that he wouldn't mind adding one more to this phantom pajama party. "Hey Jimmy it's Craig. Can I tell Joey I'm staying there tonight."

"Yeah but tell him that we're camping out in the woods near my house, cause I just told my parents that's what we were doing, I said I was meeting all of you. I was about to call Spinner and Marco."

"So you're going camping alone?"

"Camping yes, alone no. I leave for L.A in the morning"

"Oh ok. Tell Hazel I said hello...on second thought don't."

"Wait. I know where Spinner and Marco are, where are you?"

"Well I think I may be getting back in the saddle as it were."

"You know what? I don't think I want to know."

"I don't want to tell you so we're good. Thanks Jimmy."

"No problem." Craig hung up and dialed one last number

"Hey Joey it's Craig. Listen I was at the art show and I bumped into the guys, they had gone out for pizza near the gallery."

"And?"

"Well you know they convinced me that I do need a guys night. So we're going camping behind Jimmy's place he knows a cool spot and you know a little fresh June air will do me good. Besides he's leaving for L.A. in the morning."

"Ok but don't forget Angela's recital is at noon, it's her last Ice Skating show until next Christmas she'll be crushed if you don't come."

"I won't forget. Bye Joe"

"Bye." Craig hung up and took a swig of his drink. He listened to a slightly better version of _I will Survive_ and then saw Cass walking toward him with a leather jacket in her hand.

"Shall we?" she asked wrapping her arm in his.

"We shall." He answered smiling.

"Well here it is. It isn't much." Cass opened the door and Craig saw the apartent. The windows were all blacked out and he saw the enlarger in the kitchenette. Prints were hung on clothes lines from one end of the room to the other. There was a cabinet propped open with long strips of negatives hanging.

"This is great. I only use the lab at school."

"You're a Photo major at UT? I thought I knew everyone in the program."

"No, no, I go to Art Institute of Toronto."

"Oh, do you know Tasha McMillen?"

"No. I just started there this semester and I've really been keeping to myself. It's been a rough year for me."

"I could have guessed that. Your song was so sad. Can you sing me something else?"

"Let's see." Craig sat down and strummed his guitar. Cass sat down beside him. Craig played a few songs until he found himself starting to sing the song he wrote the night Manny called and told him she had done it. He hadn't sung it for anyone, not even the boys.

"_I'm so tired/ There is no sleep/ All I see is you and me/ The life we should have led/ Who you were to me/But now you've taken you away from me/You held it all and it didn't mean anything to you,/ I loved you/ You loved me too/ But that ain't enough for you/ Not enough to keep you/ From killing it all/ But now you've taken you away form me/ You held it all and it didn't mean anything to you/ I trust you/ Or maybe did/ But I won't make that mistake/ You are without a care/ No moral compass here"_

"Wow. That was heavy."

"Sorry, I don't know why I sang that one, I haven't even sung that for my band."

"I take it you don't have a girlfriend?"

"No, not anymore."

"She dumped you? Cheated on you?"

"No. I think I dumped her. Well it's complicated."

"Well why don't we get some wine and you can tell me about it." Cass poured them each a glass of wine and sat the bottle in front of them as Craig relayed the story of Ashley and Manny, purposely leaving out anything he thought would be a tell tale sign that they were in High School.

"And when did you write that song?"

"When Manny called to tell me that she had done it. She told me she was going to, but I kept thinking that maybe she'd get to the clinic and change her mind. That she'd remember me begging her not to do it and reconsider. I knew if I could talk to her one more time I could convince her. But I didn't see her again. She called me the next night and said that she and her mom had gone and she had the procedure. She called it a procedure, like having a wart removed." He got tears in his eyes. Cass reached over and wiped the tear away. She leaned over him until she was on top of him. He thought she was making a move when she grabbed something off the table and sat back down.

"Here."

"What's this?" He asked taking a picture obviously taken at the Toronto zoo.

"It's the penguins at the zoo."

"And?" he laughed. "Maybe you've had too much wine?"

"No. Listen this was taken 10 minutes after the mother laid an egg. That's her there with her back to the nest. The penguin sitting on the nest with the egg is the father. Penguin mothers don't care for the kids, in fact once the eggs fertilized they don't have much to do with it. I took this after I learned that because I was raised by my father. Take it I have the negatives."

"Thanks." He looked at the picture and realized that this girl got him. He placed it on top of his guitar and then looked at her. She had invited him to her apartment, he was allowed. So he did. He leaned over and kissed her.

The Next Morning

"Craig, Craig!" Craig rolled over and grabbed the hand that was shaking him. "It's 11:00 and I have a studio appointment over in Hamilton this afternoon, I gotta hall ass."

"Eleven? Crap. Can I use your shower?"

"Yeah but touch my loofa and die." She laughed and Craig kissed her. They giggled on the bed. "I left my number on the back of that photo I gave you. Make sure you call me or else I'll feel like a slut."

"Ok. I'll call you soon." He kissed her one more time and then walked toward the bathroom.

"Oh, lock the door handle, not the best neighborhood, and please DO NOT answer the phone."

"Ok," Craig said as she grabbed her equipment and ran out the door. "Ok now a shower."

That night

"So dude how'd that thing work out for you on Saturday?" asked Spinner as Craig walked into the Dot

"Excellent," Craig said opening his guitar case and mounting the penguin picture inside.

"What is that?"

"Oh it's a picture I took when I went to the zoo with Angie."

"You went to the zoo with Angie? Please tell me that wasn't what you did yesterday."

"No I went to a bar and got really drunk. Met some cool people and then slept in my car."

"You called to ask me if you could lie to Joey so that you could sleep in your car?"

"Well I was getting pretty drunk."

"Whatever dude, we need to find you a girl."

"Yeah," Craig said half heartedly as Spinner walked away. He stared at the picture. For right now this was going to be a secret.

Chapter 2

Friday Night Mid-July

Craig walked up to the familiar apartment and slipped his key into the door and then remembered. He reached up and turned the single hall light bulb slightly to the left. He walked in and saw Cass standing with the red light catching the shine of her dark hair. He closed the door quietly and grabbed her by the waist.

"You should never go into the Ninja field dear." She said turning and kissing him full on the mouth. He pulled her toward him and lifted her off the ground.

"I missed you so much." He said as he moved his lips only millimeters away. Just enough to be able to talk.

"I missed you too. How was Montreal?"

"Good and Angela had a good time."

"So your parents live in Montreal?"

"Um no, my parents are dead. Ange and I live with her dad in Toronto and our grandparents live in Montreal. So once a year I take Angie off her dad's hands and we visit them."

"Wait I thought Joey was your roommate."

"Yeah, and he use to be my step-dad. After my dad died, when I was a freshman in high school, I went to live with Joey. He left me alone for the most part, so I stay there keeps rent down."

"Hey you know I can respect that. I mean I don't pay for this place."

"I didn't know that. How do you manage that?"

"Um..well...honey. My boyfriend's parents pays for it."

"Your boyfriend?" he let go of her.

"Sweetheart, ex-boyfriend, kinda."

"Kinda?"

"He's living in Italy for almost a year and we agreed that while he was away we would see other people. And when he gets back then I'm going to tell him it's over."

"But until then you'll live in his apartment?"

"Why not? Craig. I love you, you know that. He isn't getting back for 8 more months, by then I'll have found somewhere else to live. You're over reacting."

"Well why don't you call him and tell him that you've met someone?"

"Because then he might ask me to move out and I don't have anywhere else to go. My dad is in England and I am a bartender, which barely pays for my supplies and school and stuff. I promise it is over with Pete, and we will not speak of him again until right before he comes home, when you help me pack my stuff up."

"Okay," he kissed her, "I'm sorry. I just don't want to loose you."

"You won't." she kissed him. A timer went off and she pulled away and pulled a print out of the sink and hung it on a line. Craig saw himself looking back, smiling, she made him happy and he could deal with this. But he wasn't sure what she could deal with.

Thursday Early August

"Craig, are you sure you and Angie will be okay for a week. I can always ask Spike and Snake if you guys can stay there." Joey asked as he carried his bags to the front door.

"Yeah we'll be fine. Go have fun with Caitlin. You haven't seen her in months. A week alone will be good for you."

"Thanks Craig. I owe you."

"Nah, just let me take the sweet '68 Mustang convertible I saw on the lot yesterday out for a little spin sometime."

"I don't owe you that much." Joey joked as he picked up the bags. "Love you Angie." He kissed her and left.

"Hey Angie, remember when I would come see you and we were keeping it a secret from Daddy?"

"Yeah."

"Well this week we're going to have another secret. I am going to have a friend come over and I don't want to tell Daddy about her yet. See she's really special and I want her to be a surprise, ok?"

"Okay," he picked her up and put her on his back. "Can I have an airplane ride Craig?"

"Of course." He flew her around the room and almost ran right into Cass. "Hey"

"Hey" she kissed him. "I knocked and nobody answered so I came in. You must be Angie."

"Yes, who are you?"

"I'm Cass, I'm Craig's friend."

"Friend like Marco or friend like Ashley?"

"Well," Cass looked at Craig confused. "I think Ashley, but I'm not sure."

"Craig does that mean you're going to make me go to bed early so you can kiss on the couch?"

"No it doesn't," Cass answered, "I promise I won't let him make you go to bed early. You tell me what your bed time is and you will not go a second before."

"Ten!"

"Ten? That seems pretty late for such a little girl."

"Angela don't lie to Cass when she's being so nice to you, or else I'll put you to bed now," Craig reprimanded the little girl on his back trying not to crack a smile.

"Okay, I'm sorry Cass. I go to bed at nine."

"Ok then, you are very polite."

"Thank you."

"Hey I bumped into an old friend from High school today. He wants me to meet this guy he's been dating. So I told him we'd meet them for dinner."

"Well what about Angie?"

"Angie, do you want to go out for dinner? My treat!"

"Yay!" Angie jumped off Craig's back. "When?"

"Right now. Go get shoes," Angie ran toward the stairs.

"Don't forget to go to the bathroom Ange!" Craig called after her. "You're sure your friend and his friend won't mind having Angie around?"

"Nope I told them that we'd probably bring your baby sister." Cass wrapped her arms around Craig's waist. "Now I think you should give me a proper hello while Ange is upstairs."

"I can do that," he gave her a smirk and then kissed her.

"How did I never meet you in High School?"

"Well good things come to those that wait," he said kissing her again.

"No not in the philosophical sense. You must have gone to Degrassi, if you lived here. And the school is not so big I would have missed a cute guy in my class."

"You went to Degrassi?"

"Yeah."

"Well I went to a private school. My dad put me in it before he died, and he left me enough money to keep going. He was a surgeon," Craig liked to say something true every time he lied to her. It made him feel a little less guilty.

"Oh, well I still can't believe we never met. You'd think we would have had at least one mutual friend."

"Well maybe it was fate, so that we'd meet at just the right time," he said kissing her and hoping she would stop asking questions. Angie came down the stairs and saw them kissing so she ran in between them and started pushing them apart.

"Come on I'm HUNGRY!"

"Ok ok," Craig picked her up and they went to the car.

They pulled up in front of a diner in downtown Toronto and Craig cursed under his breath at the lack of parking spots.

"Why don't you guys hop out and I'll go park."

"Okay, come on Ange."

Craig parked the car two blocks away. When he rounded the corner in front of the diner he saw Marco about to open the door.

"MARCO," Marco whirled around. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm meeting Dylan. He bumped into some old friend today and wants me to meet her."

"Crap."

"What?"

"The old friend is kinda my girlfriend, she's in there with Ange."

"I didn't know you were dating anyone, you keeping her a secret?"

"Yes, for a very very food reason."

"And that would be?" Marco had a feeling he really didn't want to know the reason.

"Um, well first because she is the most amazing girl I've ever met and I don't want anything to screw it up. Second, there is no second there's just that."

"And how would we," he cut himself off. "Wait Dylan said that Cass was the friend that helped him through his coming out, and he hasn't seen her since she graduated, when he was a freshman. She's like twenty-one, how'd you manage that?"

"Well mostly she thinks I am too."

"You lied to her? Craig lying to girls is what got you in trouble last time. Well that and an inability to use contraception."

"I don't need this right now Marco. I didn't exactly lie. Spinner and I had these fake IDs made and I went to a bar for open mic night and used it. She was the bar tender. I just never bothered to tell her the ID was fake."

"Craig, that's still lying."

"And now I need you to lie too, please Marco! She is the one I know it, and eventually I'll tell her the truth, but not today."

"Well she's already inside, with Dylan. I don't think he's going to lie to one of his closest friends, no matter how long it's been since they saw each other."

"I'll tell her something, just get Dylan to go along with it."

"Fine, but only once, let me go first. When I stop kissing him the second time then come in."

"Okay, I owe you a big one," he grabbed Marco in a big hug and kissed him over dramatically on the forehead.

"Don't let Spin see you doing that," he said going inside.

Craig watched from the door as Marco went inside and kissed Dylan who was standing there talking to Ange and Cass. Craig saw Marco put his arms around Dylan's shoulders and put his mouth practically in his ear. Dylan's eyes got wide and he swung around. He excused himself from Cass and pulled Marco aside. Craig watched as they talked rather animatedly. Marco kissed him again and Craig walked into the diner.

"Craig!" Angie was excited. "Marco is here!"

"How do you know Dylan and Marco?" Cass asked looking confused.

"Uh well, Marco's best friend is Dylan's sister's boyfriend and he and I play basketball together in the park. So Marco always comes to watch us play and we started hanging out. He's been through a lot in the last year so I kinda like to give him someone to talk to. He's a great guy"

"So you like watching basketball Marco?" Cass asked as Dylan and Marco walked back over.

"Oh yeah. You know all those guys without shirts on, who could resist that?"

"Especially this one without a shirt on." Cass said letting her hand stray up the front of Craig's shirt.

"Thanks guys, as much as I like the idea of my friend and girlfriend talking about my abs, there are children present."

"Yeah, Craig wouldn't want to be involved in the corruption of a minor," Dylan said making sure Craig knew he didn't like this whole situation. The waitress came over and seated them.

"Hey Angie, let's go to the ladies room and powder our noses before dinner."

"Ok," Angie followed her to the bathroom.

"Craig what the hell is going on?" Dylan leaned across the table to Craig. "Cassidy is one of my best friends in the entire world and I refuse to lie to her. You will tell her before the next time I see her, or I will tell her. This dinner is a freebie, because I don't want to make a scene."

"Hey Angie," Marco called as they came up behind Craig. "Why don't you come sit with me?"

"Yay," she climbed onto Marco's lap and he tickled her.

"You know Ange we're the luckiest girls in the room," Said Cass in a mock whisper.

"Why?"

"Because we're here with the three cutest guys in Toronto," she said and Angela laughed as Dylan and Marco both tickled her. "So what was that about Craig?"

"Oh Dylan and I were disagreeing on hockey. I prefer the Canucks to the Buds."

"Yeah don't disagree with Dylan on hockey, he's worse then any straight guy you'll ever meet."

They had a nice dinner and they all went their separate ways. Dylan made sure that as they were leaving Craig heard him and Cassidy make plans for two weeks from that day. He looked straight at Craig and gave him a knowing nod. Craig was doing all he could to keep his heart from beating out of his chest. What was he going to do, he couldn't loose another love. Craig drove Cass home and left Angie in the car while he walked her to the door.

"I love you," Craig said. "You know that right?"

"Of course, I love you too."

"No matter what? Because I love you no matter what."

"Yes, no matter what. What is going on?"

"Nothing I'm just scared of loosing you."

"Listen, let me run inside and I'll grab some clothes and I'll come over. We'll put Angela to bed and watch a movie, and then I'll put you to bed." She kissed him and opened the door.

"I think we're going to be okay."

Ten days later

Craig walked into Cass' apartment and found the usually dark room clutter relegated to one counter. The coffee table was set with candles.

"What's going on?" Craig asked as Cass kissed him.

"I have something to tell you, but I wanted us to have a nice dinner first."

"Big news huh?"

"You bet."

"So you cooked?"

"Are you kidding? My oven is a negative dryer at the moment. Besides I don't cook well. I ordered Chinese."

"Well let me run to the bathroom." Craig said dropping his bag on the living room floor.

As he walked through the bedroom the doorbell rang. Cass answered the door and spoke to the delivery girl.

"Craig, I'm ten bucks short, do you have any money?"

"Yeah," he called from the bathroom. "My wallet is in my bag by the door."

Cass found his wallet and pulled out a twenty dollar. She handed it to the man at the door, collected the change and then closed the door. She placed the money back into the wallet and then saw a picture of him, Angela and a man in his thirties, she assumed he must be Joey. Something wasn't right. She looked at his driver's license. This wasn't the ID she had seen him put in his pocket at the bar that first night. It couldn't have been because Ralphie wouldn't have let him in if this had been the card he had seen.

"Smells good," He said wrapping his arms around her from behind. "So what's the big news?"

"What year did you graduate Craig?"

"The same year you did."

"What year was that?"

"Well if we were born in 1983, and graduated when we were 18."

"2000."

"Yeah."

"No Craig," she pulled away from him and threw the wallet at him keeping the card in her hand. "I graduated in 2001. YOU will graduate in, my guess would be 2006?"

Craig saw the card in her hand and opened his wallet. He saw the fake ID staring back at him, which meant she must have been holding the real one. "Cass I can explain."

"Explain? You lied to me."

"I met you that night and I had used the fake to get in. I couldn't tell you afterward, you wouldn't have let me stay. And it just went on too long. I should have told you sooner."

"You mean before we had sex the first night Craig?"

"Well I was thinking maybe the next day, or the next week, but before now, I know before now!"

"Craig you don't get it, do you?"

"Get what, I'll make it up to you I'm sorry."

"I get the feeling that you say that A LOT! Craig I don't want you to make it up to me. I want you to get out."

"You didn't tell me about Pete right away, we made it through that. You said you'd love me no matter what."

"Craig, I'm not saying I don't love you. This would be a lot easier if I didn't."

"What would be easier?"

"Telling you to get the hell out of my house and never come back and not to call me."

"Cass, we're good together, we love each other."

"Craig it's ILLEGAL. You should not have let me have sex with you, I committed a FELONY!!!!"

"I'm sorry. Cassidy I LOVE YOU!"

"I love you too Craig," her voice fell to a whisper. "And I thought that we'd be together forever, I really thought you were the one. But it can't happen now. We can't see each other. I'll tell you what. Call me the day after you graduate from High school. Then we'll talk. But for right now, get the HELL OUT!" her voice rose back to a scream and she threw his bag into the hallway and shoved the boy, almost twice her height, out the door.

"Cass," Craig pleaded dropping to his knees. "I can't loose you." Tears were pouring down both of their faces.

"Just tell me one thing."

"Yeah?"

"Did Dylan know?"

"Not until the day at the diner, he made me promise I would tell you before he saw you this weekend, or else he would tell you. I wasn't sure how I was going to tell you."

"Get out." She whispered as she slammed the door on the prostrate teenager and locked the door. She wrapped her arms around herself and slipped down the door till she was on the floor. "What am I going to do?"

Chapter 3

Four Months Later

Paige's Christmas party. Craig, Jimmy, Hazel, Spinner, Paige and Marco.

"Marco," Paige said as the group of kids sat around a table covered in cups of hot chocolate. "I know how much you were looking forward to Dylan coming home for Christmas, and how upset you were when you found out that his team made Nationals. SO we all got together and pitched in a few bucks to get you this."

As she finished speaking Dylan came in from the basement door carrying a branch of mistletoe above his head.

"Hey cutie," he said and gave Marco a kiss. "Miss me?"

"More then you know. How long are you staying?"

"Only until Thursday. But that gives us 5 days. There was no way I could have driven here and then turned around and driven back in enough time, but Paige and everybody bought my a plane ticket so I could at least see you for a little while."

"You guys are the best!" Marco went around hugging all his friends.

"Nobody should be alone for the holidays," Craig said with an ironic smile.

"Cass was asking about you," Dylan said.

"Who?" Paige asked, her gossip senses were tingling.

"You remember my friend Cassidy Nelson?" Dylan asked her.

"Yeah she was a senior when you were a freshman. Emma's cousin,"

"Yeah."

"Wait," Craig jumped in. "She's Emma's cousin?"

"You didn't know that?" Dylan looked surprised. "But then I guess you weren't worried about who she was related to, just making sure she didn't find out how old you were."

"I demand to know what happened," Paige laughed. "This is just too juicy."

"Craig dated her for most of the summer because she thought he was 21, because he and Spin have fake IDs," Marco told Paige.

"Am I the last one to know?"

"We didn't know," said Jimmy looking at Spin and Hazel.

"Yeah well she found out and dumped my ass."

"So did you guys," Spin made awkward motions with his hands trying to imply something vaguely sexual.

"Spin that is none of your business," Paige smacked her boyfriend's arm.

"Thanks Paige," Craig picked up his camera, "I think I'm going to go. Listen nobody tell Emma okay I don't want to put her in the middle of anything."

"I'll be right back," Dylan followed Craig out.

"Oops, looks like you've got some competition DelRosie," Spin joked.

Outside Dylan grabbed Craig by the arm. "Call her Craig. It's obvious you're still hung up on her. And I think she'd want to talk to you."

"She kicked me out and told me not to call her Dylan, besides I did call her and she didn't answer the phone for like two months."

"Try again."

"No, she ended it I apologized, I've done my part. The ball is in her court. Now if you'll excuse me I'm exhausted." Craig disengaged himself from Dylan and then got in his car. Four months and she was still all he could think about. He opened his camera bag to put his flash away and found a folded up picture of penguins. Was there something Dylan wasn't telling him? Had Cassidy asked him to talk to Craig? No. It was wishful thinking.

Early April

"So Craig, how about taking our fakes out for a spin tonight. We haven't used them since like New Years," Spinner asked Craig.

"I don't know Spin."

"Dude, you are such a girl. You, like, have a broken heart for years. It was, like, months between Manny and Cassidy and then it's been like SEVEN months since Cassidy."

"Seven and a half since she threw me out. Ten since I met her," Craig said as they passed Manny and Emma in the hallway.

"...And her boyfriend gets back from Italy finds out she's pregnant and throws her out," Craig spins around and follows Emma listening. "So she's eight months pregnant and homeless. So of course my mom takes her in."

"Why'd he throw her out? Was it his baby?" Manny asked concerned

"I guess so, I didn't ask."

"Emma!" Craig called. She and Manny turned around.

"Yeah?"

"Emma my internet is down and I have some major research I have to do. Do you mind if I came over this afternoon and used yours?"

"Yeah sure Craig, come over. You can give Chris and me a ride home. We'll meet you by your car after school."

"Thanks so much Emma," he turned back around and followed Spinner.

"Dude why don't you use the school computers?"

"Didn't you hear what she said?"

"About some homeless pregnant chick?"

"Cassidy's Emma's cousin and her boyfriend was in Italy when we got together. She was going to dump him for me when he got back. If I had gotten Cass pregnant she'd be about 8 months pregnant now and Pete, her boyfriend would have gotten back about 2 weeks ago."

"Dude! There is no way. I am buying you condoms. My gift to you. I will buy you STOCK in Trojan if it means you will stop getting girls pregnant!"

"Spin, we used condoms, every time."

"Then obviously Emma isn't talking about her."

"Nothings fool proof Spinner, and it'd be too big of a coincidence."

That Afternoon

"Cass, I'll do that," Spike took the pot of pasta from Cass' hands. "You need to be more careful."

"Sorry Spike," Cass sat down and rubbed her very round stomach. "I need this baby to come I can't take this anymore."

"Well let him stay in there a little longer. Maybe by the time she comes out you can Pete can work this out. I mean you guys have been together for like 3 years, I can't figure out what he's doing. But don't worry you're Aunt Spike will be here for you even if he's not," Spike ended in a cutesy tone

"Aunt Christine there is something I need to tell you," Cass was interrupted by the door. Emma came through followed by Chris and Craig.

"Hey guys," Spike called. "Cassidy and I were just talking can you give us a minute?"

"Craig?" Cass had stood up and was staring at him in disbelief. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I go to school with Emma, at Degrassi. I heard her talking and I put some things together. You should have told me Cass."

"Craig not now, not here."

"What is going on?" Spike looked between Craig and Cass. "Emma, Chris, go upstairs and check on Jack please." They obliged and went up the stairs. "Now what the hell is going on?"

"Spike, Pete went to Italy in April."

"Yeah?"

"I got pregnant in July."

"So that explains why he kicked you out. But please tell me how Craig plays into this."

"I'm the father." Craig looked straight at Cass and never took his dark eyes from her blue ones.

"Cassidy!" Spike yelled. "He's sixteen."

"She didn't know Spike," Craig raised his voice just enough to get her attention, "I told her I was 21."

"I kicked him out and told him never to call me again when I found his real driver's license."

"You should have called me when you found out that you were pregnant."

"I knew," she whispered. "The night I threw you out. Remember me saying I had big news?"

"Yeah?"

"Well I was going to tell you we were going to be parents. I had even gotten you this." She reached into her large bag in the living room and pulled out a beanbag penguin. "The funny thing," she began to cry as she sat on the couch and Craig took the stuffed animal. "The funny thing is that I wasn't worried Craig. I figured that we'd move in together, maybe get married, and we'd raise this baby together. Twenty-two isn't too young to be parents. I was going to give you what Manny took away from you. I was happy."

"I would have been too," he knelt between her legs and touched her belly. "I will be, once I get over the shock."

"Wow, wow, wow." Spike sat down next to them. "Craig you are sixteen. Did he tell you Manny was fourteen when she got pregnant? Or did you just make her out to be some villain Craig?"

"I was hurt Spike!" Craig lashed back taking his eyes off of Cass for the first time. "I was hurting, and what Manny did was wrong. I told Cass my side, she was the first person who listened to my side."

"That really isn't the issue right now Spike," Cass looked at her aunt. "I figured she was pretty young when I found out how old Craig really was. I don't agree with what she did but it doesn't matter. The fact is I'm actually having a baby and I was going to do it alone. I'm going to do it alone."

"You don't have to Cass, I want to be here for you and for our baby," Craig tried to kiss her but she turned away.

"No," she was firm but tears were still rolling down her cheeks. "I don't want you in my life. I can't have you in my life."

"Why not?" Craig was matching her tear for tear.

"Because I love you Craig. I love you more then you will ever know and I can't be with you, not like I want to be, so I can't have you in my life."

"You can be. What's stopping us?"

"The law? Spike added from behind. "This is unbelievable. I'm calling Joey. He needs to be apart of this."

"A part of what?" Joey and Caitlin walked in with Snake and Angela.

"Joey what are you doing here?" Craig asked standing up and looking at his stepfather and wiping the tears from his eyes.

"I picked up Caitlin from the airport and she wanted to come see Snake and Spike, we brought Thai food." He looked around. "What is going on?"

"CASSIDY!" Angela called and ran to hug the woman. "Are you having a baby?"

"Yeah Ange, I am," Cass tried to stop crying.

"Who are you?" Joey asked very confused.

"Joey this is Spike's niece Cass," Snake tried to help out though he was almost as confused. "Her boyfriend threw her out and she's staying with us until she has her baby."

"Ex-boyfriend," Craig insisted. "Very ex."

"And Angela how do you know Cass?" Caitlin asked wondering what had hit the fan while she was away.

"She and Craig had a slumber party when you went to visit Caitlin."

"WHAT?" Snake, Joy and Caitlin all said at once. It would have been humorous in any other situation.

"How old are you?" Joey asked Cass.

"Twenty-two. I was twenty-one at the time. But I thought Craig was too. Please don't press charges."

"You know, I think pressing charges would be a little ridiculous at this point," Snake said hoping Joey agreed.

"Ange, upstairs," Joey barked.

"But Daddy."

"GO."

"FINE!" Angie stormed up the stairs and Emma, who had been listening at the top of them, picked her up and took her in to play with Jack and Chris before returning to her perch.

"I'm guessing," Joey said slowly sitting down on a chair and rubbing his head, "That the slumber party in question is what resulted in ?"

"Well no, not that one in particular," said Craig trying to sound light hearted. "My guess is it was one of the ones at her place."

"You mean her boyfriends place?" Spike added.

"Yeah," Craig plopped down on the sofa next to Cass and gave up on not getting into it here.

"And how long have you known Craig? About the baby." Asked Joey not looking at anyone just rubbing his temples and staring at his shoes.

"About two minutes."

"OK," Snake tried to sound calm. "Obviously there is a lot to talk about here, but whether we discuss it now or in an hour isn't going to change anything, except possibly calming tempers. So why don't we all sit and have dinner? Then we'll send Emma and Chris out with Angie to a movie or something. We can all sit and discuss this like adults."

"The problem is we aren't all adults," snapped Joey.

"Joey," Caitlin reached over and put a hand on him. "Snake is right let's just chill out. Emma I know you're listening why don't you get Chris and then kids and bring them down here?"

"Okay," came a timid voice from the top of the stairs.

They all sat in the living room eating Thai take-out on paper plates. The pasta Cass and Spike had been making had long since gotten soggy. Emma and Chris sat in the kitchen just watching as no one looked up. To the casual observer the room looked like a cult that derived meaning from the patterns in Pad Thai noodles.

"Um, Chris and I have a huge, um, test, project, type thing, so we're going to go upstairs," she said picking up their paper plates and tossing them into the trash. "You know usually I get upset when my mom uses paper plates because they're bad for the environment, but tonight I want to get down on my hands and knees and thank her for not having to do dishes," she whispered to Chris as they went upstairs.

"I have an idea," said Caitlin breaking the adult's uncomfortable silence. "As much as I, and I think Snake, would love to help out, we're just extra bodies. So why don't he and I take Jack and Angie back to our place and you guys can call when you're done."

"I think that's a good idea Caitlin," answered Spike. Snake and Caitlin picked up the two kids and left quickly.

"Wow," Craig said almost to himself, "I haven't emptied a room like that since Ashley yelled about Manny to the whole cafeteria. Funny when you're old and pregnant everyone wants to hug you and congratulate you. When you're sixteen, or fifteen, nobody is sure whether to kill you or cry for you."

"Oh I'm pretty sure it's the former," said Joey standing up and pouring himself a glass of wine. "Spike?"

"Yeah, Cass a small glass of red wine a day is good for you in your 3rd trimester."

"No red wine got me into this mess in the first place."

"Oh come on," Craig spun to look at her. "Go ahead make it sound like I got you drunk and fu"

"CRAIG!" Joey yelled.

"Sorry. But I want them to know that it was you who started this. I didn't invite you back to my place when we had known each other for half an hour."

"I wasn't planning on sleeping with you, I wanted to hear your songs. After your story about Manny and a few glasses of wine it seemed like a good idea."

"Okay, Cass I think we can settle this," said Joey. "You're in school and you should stay there."

"I only have one more year."

"Okay, then this is what we're going to do. I will pay for daycare or a baby sitter or whatever for the first year. We will find you an apartment and you will work enough for the apartment and your groceries. I will pay an allowance to you each month for baby stuff. I think $500 should do it. When Craig turns 18 his trust fund will be accessible. You will get one third. That will pay for you for the four years that the other two thirds are paying for university for Craig. When university is done then Craig will actually pay child support. Does that sound like enough to you?"

"Yes, that's more then enough," she was genuinely thankful. "Thank you. And I'm not going to be a burden on you. I promise I won't be knocking on your door for more money ever."

"Wait a second," Craig stood up and was obviously angry. "Does anybody even care what I think? What I want?"

"Craig," Spike put her hands on his shoulders and tried to coax him back into his chair. "Joey is offering to put out $5100 a month plus whatever daycare would cost. He's being generous to you, because you know what? The government could get into your trust fund if Joey didn't do it."

"She can HAVE my trust fund. Cass, take it, it's a lot of money. Take it and leave, but leave my baby here. Don't any of you understand? I WANTED MANNY TO KEEP THE BABY! I WANTED A FAMILY OF MY OWN BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ONE!" he was sobbing. "I was going to marry Manny. I want to be a father and I want to be a husband. I can take pictures without going to school. I can play my guitar without going to school. I want this. And the thing is I didn't love Manny. I thought I did, but I didn't. I didn't love Ash. But Cass, I loved you. I love you. I haven't stopped thinking about you in the last seven months. I've missed you so much that Dylan was in the room with me for 30 seconds and could tell and was trying to get me to call you. I want to marry you. I want to go buy a house right now and put a crib in it. I want to wake up with you next to me every morning for the rest of our lives. And I want to learn how to change a diaper. I want to have what I never had, a family."

"Craig you have a family," Joey put a hand on his shoulder.

"No Joey. I had two parents who hated each other, then my mother left my father and married you. And you're a great friend, but you're not my dad. So now I have my dad who hit my mom when she told him she was leaving. Did you know that? He'd never done it before, but he did when she was packing her stuff. He never stopped, he just couldn't get to my mom. So he took it out on me. My family died that day Joey, as dysfunctional as it was. I was 8 years old. And then they died one at a time. THIS," he touched Cass' stomach, "is my family and Manny's child was my family. And she died too. I will not let anyone take this one away from me." Craig stormed out the door leaving everyone in a state of shock.

"So who should go after him?" Ask Spike. "The man he tore his parents apart, the woman who wants to keep his child from him, or the woman who told his girlfriend to make her own decision because she couldn't count on him?"

"Wow, none of us sound very good right." Cassidy said putting her head back. She sat bolt upright. "Oh GOD! What the hell?"

"What's the matter?" Spike reached over to her.

"It's like the worst cramps ever."

"Cass, those would be contractions."

"They can't be. I'm not due for another six weeks." She was panting. "It hurts."

"Emotional stress can induce early labor."

"I'm not ready Aunt Christine," tears of pain were running down her face.

"Fine, I will go get Craig," yelled Emma as she ran down the stairs and out the front door. She got outside and saw Craig sitting in his car sobbing. She got in beside him. "Craig it'll work out."

"Emma, butt out isn't in your vocabulary is it?"

"No, not when my family is involved. Listen Cass just went into labor after you stormed out. My guess is they'll be coming out the door any second. Listen you helped me find my dad and I'm so grateful. And then I didn't stop Manny and I feel horrible. Let me help you now."

"I don't think you can Emma. You can't start a letter writing campaign."

"I know. But I can talk to her. If nothing else I can help you like I did when you wanted to see Angie."

"Thank you Emma, I appreciate that someone has been on my side for the last year."

"No, I wasn't on your side when I knew you were cheating on Ashley, but we both know how hard it is to be without somebody whether we knew them or not," Emma reached across the car and put her hand on his. "Now let's go, they're coming out. You have a son that's being born tonight."

"It's a boy?" He looked up into Emma's eyes.

"Yes," she smiled. "Now I'll ride with you and we'll follow Joey and my mom to the hospital." She rolled down her window and called to Chris and her mom at the door. "Chris, come with us. Mom, we'll follow you." Spike walked over to the car and bent down to Craig's window.

"Craig come to the hospital you deserve that. But this isn't done yet. Please stay calm, for the sake of Cass and your baby."

"I will Spike, I promise," Spike reached in and kissed Craig on his forehead.

"You're a good kid Craig, deep down inside, and we're family now, so let me give you a piece of advice. The secret to being a good parent is putting the needs of your child ahead of your own. Even if that means something that really hurts."

They drove to the hospital and they rolled Cass through to a room. Her OB was on call and in the hospital, which expedited the process. Everyone paced the waiting room until the doctor came out.

"How is she?" Craig verbally pounced on the small woman.

"I'm sorry who are you?"

"The father, I'm the father."

"Oh, well she's doing fine. Cass is in no danger. We're more worried about the baby at the moment. He is a little early. While his organs and things are all developing at the correct rate, he has been small since the first ultrasound. We actually were hoping that she might be a little late, as most first time mothers usually are. But the mortality rate for premature babies is very low at this point in gestation. I'm not going to lie to you. Your son will probably spend a few weeks in the NICU but in the long run I think everything will be fine."

"Thank God," Spike came up and wrapped an arm around Craig. She looked at the doctor. "How much longer?"

"I don't think it will be too long, a couple hours."

"Can we see her?" Emma asked.

"I'd say the father and her lamas coach, nobody else. It's a tiny room, and we want to keep germs to a minimum. I'll check back with you in a minute."

"Well I've had two babies, you guys have each coached for one birth each," she said looking at Snake, Emma, and Joey. "Chris, sorry I think you loose out on this one."

"You know I think that's okay. In fact, I think I'm going to go, not rally sure why I was here in the first place."

"For me," said Emma. "We'll call Grandma and Uncle Sid. I'll have to go find a calling card to call Uncle Sid in London. Craig can we borrow your car?"

"What? You're fifteen!" Joey said as Craig blindly hung his keys out.

"Chris is sixteen he'll drive," said Emma grabbing the keys as they walked out.

"Should I call Grams and Pops in Montreal?" asked Craig.

"You know what Craig I think this is a little too much to handle on the phone right now. We'll call them after the baby is born."

"Come now," said the doctor sticking her head out the door. "It's sooner then I thought."

"Spike, you should come in with me," Craig said pulling Spike behind him and following the doctor. When they got inside they went to each side of Cass. "Cass are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" she snapped. Craig put his lips to her ear.

"I've never seen you more beautiful Cass. I love you," he kissed her softly on the forehead. He wiped her damp hair off her face and took her hand. "I'll be right here. We're having a baby."

After forty-five minutes the doctor handed Craig a pair of scissors and he was cutting the umbilical cord. They wrapped the tiny little boy in a blue blanket and put him in Cass' arms. "He's beautiful Cassidy and he looks healthy. He's small, and we'll have to keep a close eye on him. But you guys introduce yourselves before we take him. Oh and we'll need a name."

"I hadn't really thought about it. I mean I have a first name, but not a," she stopped. "You know what. Adrienne," she looked at Craig. "His name is Adrienne Craig Nelson."

"I kinda thought he'd have my last name," Craig sounded disappointed.

"I wasn't done. A-D-R-I-E-N-N-E Adrienne, Craig C-R-A-I-G, Nelson N-E-L-S-O-N, hyphon, Manning M-A-N-N-I-N-G."

"Thank you," Craig whispered in her ear. "Hello Adrienne. I'm your daddy. And this beautiful girl right here, with those pretty eyes, she's your mommy." Cass handed the baby to Craig. "He's Beautiful."

"He is," said Cass watching Craig as he held the baby like a bubble that would break at any moment.

"I love you Adrienne," Craig kissed his head, "and I always will."

The nurse came and took the baby away and informed them that they, and any other family could see him in the nursery for a few minutes before the neo-natologist came to see him.

"I love you so much," Craig said leaning down and kissing Cass. "I'm going to go take them back to the nursery."

"Okay," said Cass kissing him back. "Come back soon." Craig left.

"Cass, this is a problem. You're loosing your resolve."

"I know Spike. I love him though, and I got caught up in the moment."

"Well if there was ever a moment I couldn't blame you for getting caught up in that was it. But eventually we are all going to have to finish that talk."

"I know, but not tonight. Tonight I'm going to let him be the proud papa."

Outside Joey, Snake, Emma, Chris, Caitlin and Angela stood at the glass as the nurse let Craig lift the baby up to the window. Craig just looked at the child in his arms and he knew that things were going to work out, he was a dad now, and soon he'd be a husband. That kiss proved it. As Craig looked at his son something wasn't right.

"Nurse!" he called to the woman at the desk. "Nurse, something isn't right." The nurse came over and took the baby from him. The breaths were shallow and the baby looked gray. The woman took the baby from his arms and pressed a red button next to the crib. A small beep noise went down the hallway. Craig watched as the nurse put the babies mouth next to her ear. She put the baby back into the crib and slammed her fist against a blue button. Lights in the hallway flashed blue and the beeping noise got about five times louder and three times as fast. "What's happening? Is my baby okay?"

"Sir," another nurse had entered the room along with a doctor. "You need to stay back. These things happen with premies. You need to step back and stay calm."

"Hell no! That's my baby, he's only a few minutes old, how can you tell me to stay calm?" Joey had been watching from the window and had come through.

"Sir, you can't go in there," said a secretary.

"That's my step-son in there, and his child is turning gray. Now if I know him he's getting in the way, maybe if you let me in I'll calm him down so you can save my grandson," He pushed by and pulled Craig toward him. "Craig, take it easy let them do their job." Craig began to cry and allowed Joey to hug him. The whispers stopped and a doctor put his hand on Craig.

"Your son is okay," he said. Craig turned around and hugged him. The doctor was a little taken aback and then continued. "We're moving Adrienne to the NICU. This is common in premature babies. He'll be on monitors and maybe get some IV fluid. I really think Adrienne will be fine."

The doctor and the new nurse left pushing Adrienne's crib with them.

"Joey, you guys should go home. It's getting late. I'm going to stay here with Cassidy." They walked out of the nursery and everyone rushed toward them.

"Is he okay?" Emma asked. She wrapped her arms around Craig and he welcomed the hug.

"Yeah, he'll be okay. They moved him to the NICU."

"Listen Craig I know we don't hang-out much, but we've always been there for each other. If there is anything you need just call me." She gave him another hug and he kissed her on the forehead. "Craig, you're the big brother I never had."

"Thanks Emma," he let her go and shook hands with Chris. "Can one of you grab my work tomorrow? Maybe bring it by for me?"

"Yeah," Chris didn't hesitate. "I'm sure Emma will want to come by and see her cousin. So we'll be here right after school."

"And I'll go home and pack you some clothes in a bag. You guys can swing by before you come over and pick it up. Now I'll drive you guys home."

"Okay," Joey kissed Emma's forehead. Angie put her arms up to Craig who picked her up.

"So I'm a daddy now Angie. And do you know what that makes you?"

"No."

"An aunt. So you'll have to teach baby Adrienne things like how to ice skate and swim okay?"

"I will Craig," She kissed him on the cheek. Then she kissed his other cheek, "That one is for Cass."

Joey and Caitlin both hugged and kissed Craig and then left. Snake put an arm around Craig.

"It's been a long night for you hasn't it?"

"You think?" Craig plopped himself hard onto a bench. "Remember the night you found out Spike was pregnant, the night before you got married?"

"Of course I do."

"No remember the day Spike had Jack and all the stuff that went down that day?"

"Yes, where are you going with this?"

"I want you to combine those two days."

"Yeah, that's pretty intense."

"Yeah, that doesn't even start to cover it. We were careful, Mr. Simpson. I learned my lesson the last time. Manny and I only had sex once."

"Listen Craig, you don't have to," Craig interrupted him.

"I need to tell someone, and telling Joe would be weird. Do you mind?"

"No, no, of course not."

"Manny and I only had sex once. It was stupid. Ashley and I were going to do it, and then we had a fight. She had condoms at the house; we had a romantic night planned. I was upset, and Manny came to my garage. She told me how wonderful my music was and how wonderful I was. Nobody ever told me that. My dad said I was a loser. Ashley was never happy with me; she pitied me at best. Manny looked up to me, and we had sex in the cold on the couch in my garage. That was my first time, hers too."

"Okay?"

"So then I met Cass and she took me back to her apartment and I played her music and she showed me her photos. It was like the intellect and artistry that Ash and I had and that adoration that Manny showed me all wrapped into one...really hot package. We drank wine and instead of wrapping her back into wrinkled clothes and sending her home hoping she didn't call, I held her all night and called her the next day praying that she liked me as much as I liked her."

"Craig, that seems important, but what your talking about is sex, not love."

"And I knew that and Cass knew that too. When Ash, or Manny, said I love you I cringed and forced the words out. Cass didn't say it that first night. But then when she did, I didn't even hesitate. It didn't seem weird. I just said it and at that point it was too late. There were too many lies and too much to explain I kept putting it off trying not to think about it, not wanting what we had to end. But it did, and it sucked, and I've been hurting for MONTHS!" He stood up and smacked the wall in front of him. "And now things might work back out. We have a chance and we have a child. This should be the happiest moment ever, instead I'm worrying about whether or not he's going to die." At this point tears were streaming down his face and he sand to a little ball on the floor. "I don't know what to do Mr. Simpson. I'm so scared, and I have never felt as alone as I do right now. And I can't tell if I'm more scared that Adrienne won't be okay or that Cass won't take me back."

Spike had been standing just around the corner for the entire conversation. She went back into the hospital room and sat down on the bed next to Cass who had just gotten the news about the baby. Cass leaned on her aunt and Spike wrapped an arm around her.  
"You know, I know it isn't ideal, but your situation could definitely be worse."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the baby is going to be fine, this really is common with premature babies, he's going to be just fine. And Craig wants to be a good father, and he loves you."

"He's so young."

"I know, I know, but there's nothing you can do about his age or the fact that he's Adrienne's father. I just heard him talking to Snake, and I'm thinking that you should try to make it work with him, IF you want to."

"I do Aunt Christine, I really do but I don't know if I can."

"You can do anything. Now he's coming in her and then I think Snake and I are going to go. You two focus on you two so that you can be there for your baby. Spend tonight and work on whatever you have to, so that tomorrow you're a united front for this little boy."

"Thanks Aunt Christine," Spike leaned down and kissed her forehead as Snake and Craig walked in. Craig's face was streaked with tears and he walked to the bedside. He didn't say a word he just buried his face in her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her. She did the same as he climbed into the bed next to her and they held each other.

"We're going to go, we'll be back tomorrow," said Snake as the exited quietly and left Craig and Cassidy crying softly and holding one another.


	2. 

Chapter 4

Next Morning

Craig sat up in the chair and his back informed him that he had in fact spent the last six hours or so bent in half over Cass' bed. Cass was nowhere to be found. He stood up and looked in the bathroom. She and Spike walked in behind him.

"Hey sleepyhead," Cass said, wrapping her arms around Craig. "We just went to see Adrienne. He's got an IV in his head, it looks horrible. Just so you know when you go in, I almost burst into tears when I saw it."

"Thanks," he said wrapping her into a hug. "Did the doctor say anything? Is everything okay?"

"Craig, he'll be fine," Spike put a hand on his shoulder. "The doctor said it will probably be a week before they send him home."

"That's not that long," Craig said helping Cass back into bed. "How about you?"

"I'll be discharged later today. There is a cot in his room. One of us can stay."

"Well, do you want me to stay, or do you want to?"

"No I'll stay. I didn't take classes this semester, since I kinda knew this was coming, you shouldn't miss too much school," there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

"Hey baby," Dylan walked in with a bouquet of flowers and a bunch of balloons.

"What are you doing here?" Cass smiled from ear to ear. Dylan put the flowers on the bedside table and let the balloons hit the ceiling.

"Well my anniversary is tomorrow so I took a couple days and drove home to see Marco. So I went to Degrassi to surprise him this morning and he told me you had the baby," he kissed her forehead. He reached across the bed to shake Craig's hand. "It's good to see you here man."

"You knew didn't you? At Christmas?" Craig asked with a tight grip on Dylan's hand.

"Yeah, I did. Cass made me promise not to tell, but I thought you should know."

"I appreciate that," he let go. "Did Marco know?"

"Yes, but not until a few weeks ago. I was worried about her after Pete threw her out and I told him. He wanted to tell you. I think if you hadn't found out soon he would have cracked. Oh I almost forgot, I thought you'd be itching for THESE." reaching into his pocket he produced a pack of Camel Lights and a book. "Oh and Marco had me bring this." He handed Craig a digital camera. "I'm supposed to bring it back when I pick him up so that everyone can see the baby."

"Thanks," said Craig as he reached for the cigarettes. "But you can take these back."

"No he can't," Cass snapped. "I quit cold turkey eight months ago and now my baby is in the NICU. I think I deserve a cigarette."

"It's not good for you," Craig said.

"You know what," Spike piped up. "Let's save this argument for later. Craig go get pictures of your son for your friends." Craig followed orders and Spike picked up the cigarettes. "He's right."

"Aunt Christine?" but the look on her face made it clear that arguing wasn't going to work.

That Afternoon

Joey came in the hospital room followed by Snake and Emma.

"Hey guys," Cass said from the bed with the baby in her arms. "He's doing a lot better, we just have to take him home on an apnea monitor in a week. But he's out of intensive care and on a regular floor."

"That's great guys," Joey put an arm around Craig and took a seat in the many chairs they had accumulated over the past few hours. "But I think the big question is where is home right now."

"Well Cass and Adrienne can stay with us until she finds an apartment," Emma said and then looked at her parents. "I mean I would think so."

"Of course Em," Spike answered. "But is that what's best?"

"Well where else would she go?" Joey asked.

"I was thinking with her fiancé," Spike answered timidly.

"Her what?" Snake looked surprised and everyone was confused. Cass lifted her left hand and showed them the ring.

"Craig is that your mother's ring?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"It was the bane of my existence for awhile. Your dad gave it to you?"

"No, actually I stole it from the floor after mom threw it at him. I've worn it around my neck since I was eight."

"Well, that's irrelevant right now. The point is, what happened? When we talked last night I thought we were on the joint custody idea. And the, you being too young idea."

"We're not getting married next week Joe, after I graduate. But I thought until they found an apartment maybe they could move in with us."

"I still want to know what happened?"

"Jeremiah," Snake put his hands on his best friend's shoulders. "Craig and I had a chat last night. And I'm not entirely sure if I think her moving in is the best idea, but maybe they owe it to Adrienne to give their relationship a shot. I mean they love each other, and things aren't perfect, but nothing ever is."

"He's SIXTEEN Snake. He can't make these decisions."

"You people are trying to make him just like me aren't you?" Emma piped up. "None of you understand. Shane's parents told him he couldn't make his own decisions at sixteen and look what happened. I spent 14 years without a father."

"Em, this is different," Snake hugged his step-daughter. "Nobody is trying to keep Craig from his baby. And you didn't know Shane before, he was reckless and what he did was stupid."

"But still," Craig said. "She's right. Spike, you of all people should understand."

"I do Craig. If we were going to vote, you'd have mine, but this isn't democracy. This is honestly between Joey and Cass when it comes down to it."

"What? He's not my father!" Everyone looked shocked and Joey looked hurt. "You've been great to me Joey, but the truth is you're not my father and I've been through enough to be able to make my own decisions. Now you don't have to let her stay with us, but you aren't going to stop me from seeing her and my baby."

"Fine." Joey stood up and rubbed his head. "Here's the deal. Craig you are going to move to the garage. Cass will take your room with the baby."

"The garage? My bed is big enough," Joey cut him off.

"NO! that is rule one. This is only temporary. When the baby is off the monitor then we will find an apartment for them. Until then we can work together to watch the baby."

"I can watch him at the house, I keep Jack with me when I have clients, one more won't hurt."

"There we go. Hopefully by the end of the summer EVERYONE will be going back to school, Cass will have a job and an apartment. Cass, we'll get you a car, a sensible one with child seats and stuff. And that will keep us copasetic for a year. Then Craig, you can go ahead and make your own decisions. But until then I'm your father figure, even if I'm not your father, and this is how things are going to be. Oh, and you're grounded for the next month. To school and back, one band practice a week, other then that you are the doting father."

"What? Grounded for what?"

"The fake ID? The fact that you must have lied about where you were all summer? I thought Spinner's parents would have gotten sick of you. Drinking?"

"But, Joey, isn't everything that's happened punishment enough?" Craig sounded like a small child begging for candy.

"NO!" Joey sat back down and poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher on the table.

Chapter 5

A Week Later

Craig pulled in front of the house with Cass and Adrienne. Joey and Caitlin were standing on the front step with Angela. Joey had a video camera hand s waving.

"Craig hold the baby up to the camera." Craig rolled his eyes and obliged his step-father. He wrapped his arm around Cass and they held the baby between them while Caitlin took their picture. As they were standing there a mini-van came around the corner. It stopped and emptied it's contents onto the driveway. Paige, Spinner, Marco, Jimmy, and Hazel got out.

"Hey Craig, we thought we'd come over for our band practice," Jimmy said looking around.

"Well now isn't a great time," Joey answered. "But if you guys want to come in and hang-out we could order pizza. We need some help moving stuff anyway, so a few able bodied men might be helpful."

"Sure," Spinner jumped at the chance for free pizza. They all went inside and helped Joey and Craig get Angela's old crib into Craig's room and carried Craig's clothes from the bureau upstairs to the old chest of drawers in the garage. As they got the last of the stuff in the drawers the pizza arrived. Joey went to pay for it and they all headed for the living room. "Dude, Craig. This sucks. You have a beautiful woman, who wants you bad, living in your house and Joey's making you sleep in the garage." Spin said.

"Yeah, well at least it isn't winter."

"I don't get it," Jimmy offered. "You've already had sex, OBVIOUSLY, so why won't Joey let you and Cass sleep together."

"I don't know, but Cass seems okay with it."

"She's not okay with it," Paige said walking up behind them. "She's just accepting it because that's how it has to be. Unlike your entire species, women can look past their hormones and do what they have to do."

"Whatever Paige, you have your hormonal moments too," Spin laughed and wrapped his arm around his girlfriend.

"Shut-up Spin," Craig and Paige said at the same time. They all walked into the living room and Craig sat down next to Cass who was nursing Adrienne.

"I love you," Craig said quietly into her ear and kissed her on the forehead. "And I love you," he said kissing the baby on the forehead.

"Awe," Hazel said as she carried paper plates into the room. "Cass, I'm Hazel and this is my boyfriend Jimmy. And that's Spinner, you know Paige and Marco."

"Hi guys, thanks for helping us."

"Do you two wanna go to the movies with us tomorrow?" Spin asked stuffing pizza in his mouth.

"Spin, you're an idiot," Marco threw a balled up paper towel at the boy. "They have a one week old baby. They can't just up and go to the movies."

"We're parents, we're not DEAD," Craig responded but then saw Joey raise an eyebrow. "But I'm grounded for a month with only one band practice a week." They all smirked and suppressed giggles. "What's so funny?"

"Dude, it's just, you're a dad now and you're still getting yourself grounded," Spinner didn't try as hard to suppress the laugh this time.

"Well anyway, even if he weren't grounded, I think Marco is right," Cass looked at Craig. "We're not dead, but it is a little soon to be leaving Adrienne with sitters so I don't think we'll be going out to movies anytime soon. And not that I am not REALLY appreciative of all your help, but I'm exhausted so I think I'm going to head upstairs and get settled."

"I'll go help you with the baby," Craig stood up and took the baby from Cass. "Thanks again guys." They all stood and the girls and Marco all kissed the baby on the forehead and they left. Cass and Craig spent the rest of the evening moving in Cass' stuff and trying to set up the baby monitor. Craig took the monitor with him to the garage when he went to bed so Cass could call if she needed anything. He spent his first night being woken up by the baby. Even with Cass' attentiveness he still was woken up about four times a night and went to school that week looking like a zombie. Every weekend Cass moved to the garage and Craig stayed in the room with the baby so that she got a couple nights sleep. By the end of Craig's grounding they had life down to a science. The house was a little crowded with four adults, a little girl, and an infant, but they made due and everyone was getting along well.

First Friday after Grounding

"Honey, I'm home," Craig called as he walked in the door from band practice. Cass was sitting on the couch nursing the baby while Angela gave a full run down of what she had done that day at school.

"Hey baby," Cass tilted her head back and Craig bent down and gave her a peck on the lips. As she did a timer went off. "That's dinner, can you pull it out? Joey is in the basement and Caitlin is upstairs, call them too."

"No problem," Craig said "Ange, can you set the table?"

"But I don't WANT TO."

"Angela," Joey's voice rang from the basement stairs. "Set the table."

"Yes daddy."

"Caitlin, dinner is ready," Craig called up the stairs and everyone sat down at the table as Cass put the now sleeping baby into the basinet.

"So guys," Joey said as they ate. "Caitlin and I rented _Saved!,_ you guys up for a little double date on the couch? Craig and I could go get some Kettle Corn and some Ben & Jerry's. We'll put Angie to bed and maybe even get Adrienne to stay asleep for the whole movie?"

"That sounds good," Cass said yawning slightly. "But I might fall asleep. I need to pump after dinner I'm going to need this night's sleep, I don't want to have to get up to nurse him."

"Um, well I was hoping Cass and I could go to this party tonight, I was off grounding on Tuesday."

"Craig you can't just assume that Caitlin and I will watch Adrienne, I always ask you ahead of time when I need you to watch Angela, we need the same courtesy."

"It's not a big deal Joey, I'm too exhausted to go anywhere, and I really don't want to go to a high school party anyway."

"Ok then _Saved!_ it is," Joey said.

"Craig, if you want to go, go ahead," Cass said.

"Cass, he needs to realize that he has a responsibility."

"Joey, Craig knows that Adrienne and I will change his life, but I don't want him to feel like we're ruining his life. If he want to go to a party then he should be able to. I don't want him to resent us, that's not good for our family."

"Cass, I don't feel like you're ruining my life. If you want me to stay home, I will, there will be other parties."

"That's the thing Craig. You don't know if the next party I'll have to work, and if the baby will have a fever the next one. GO!"

"Thank you," Craig reached across the table and grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"But, baby, PLEASE get home at a decent hour. I'm so tired."

"I'll be home by midnight."

"Thanks."


	3. 

Chapter 6

That night

Craig looked good when he left, black corduroy pants and a white button up shirt with a black C.F. Martin & Co. t-shirt underneath. Cass was sitting on the front step watching Angela ride her scooter and rocking the baby with her foot in the car seat.

"Hey Sexy!" she whistled at Craig as exited the garage.

"You sure you don't want to come?" he asked bending down and settling his head on her shoulder so that his breath stirred the hair on her neck. He kissed her neck and then her cheek. He kissed her full on the mouth. Cass slipped her hand into Craig's back pockets. They kissed for a few seconds until Craig almost fell forward on top of her. They laughed. "Come on, I never get to show you off."

"No, not to a party. I hated them when I was in high school, I don't want to go again. But have fun, I'll see you in a few hours."

"Okay, I love you."

"I love you too," she said giving him one more kiss and pulling Adrienne out of his seat so Craig could kiss him also. She watched him as he got into the car a drove away. She might have stared at the point on the horizon he had disappeared into until he returned if Angela hadn't gotten her attention with the distinct sound of a scraped knee.

Craig arrived at Heather Sinclair's house in about ten minutes. He got out and saw Emma getting out of Chris' car in front of him.

"Hey Emma, I didn't know you were coming."

"Chris is the DJ tonight, Manny and I thought we'd tag along." she said as Manny got out of the back seat. She pulled down on the black vinyl mini-skirt that had ridden up far enough for Craig to realize that she wasn't wearing any underwear, but he knew she usually didn't. Her black tube top had a hot pink outline of a guitar and the word PUNK stretched, slightly misshaped, by her breasts.

"Hey Manny," Craig said not removing his eyes from her stomach. He had always loved her stomach.

"Hey Craig, congratulations on your baby, I haven't really seen you since he was born. You must be so happy."

"Yeah, you have no idea how amazing it is to be a parent, but then you know how much I wanted kids." he didn't hide his intention to verbally stab Manny. She drew breath in sharply through her nose and then said calmly.

"Well I'm glad you found someone who can make you happy."

"Craig," Chris hated these confrontations. "Can you help me with this turntable?"

"Yeah, sure." Craig grabbed the machine and carried it inside.

Everyone was there. Everyone was coupled except for he, Marco, and Manny. Marco walked up while Manny and Emma stood on the other side of the DJ's booth talking. As more people arrived Craig decided to mingle, but after two hours he was bored. He wasn't ready to go home. He loved Cass and the baby, but he just needed this night away from the crying and the stress. He walked upstairs and found an empty bathroom in Heather's parent's room. He washed and dried his face and looked in the mirror, he looked so old. He heard the door to the bedroom close and he heard hushed voices. Suddenly the voices weren't as hushed.

"Sully! No, come on, I just came up here to pee."

"Sure Manny. You were dancing like that and you just came to find a bathroom." Craig heard the bed squeak. He wasn't sure what to do until he heard Manny again.

"NO, I Said NO."

"Whatever, you didn't say no to Craig."

"Get OFF," Manny half cried and half yelled. With that Craig opened the door and pulled Sully off of the bed. In one motion he had Sully pinned against the wall and his fist in position to give him quite a black eye.

"She said get off, now I think you have to get some air."

"Sorry dude, I thought you were done with her. If I had known you were still hittin' it I wouldn't have."

"I didn't say that, get out of here," he pushed Sully out the door and locked it behind him. He turned his attention to Manny who was a mess on the baby pink sheets. He sat down next to her and gathered her into his lap "Are you okay?"

"Thank you Craig. You didn't have to do that, but thank you."

"I wouldn't have left you to be mauled by Sully, who do you think I am?"

"I know you wouldn't have left me there. That's why I love you," she stuttered. "Loved you, that's why I loved you."

"Manny," Craig looked at her eyes. Before either of them could say anything she lifted her head up and kissed him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and moved her legs to straddle Craig. He laid back on the bed and she sat on top of him and began to undue his belt. "Manny, stop."

"But Craig," she stopped kissing him and looked him in the eye. "It's okay. I'm on the pill now."

"I have a fiancé Manny. I love her, and she's waiting for me at home with our baby."

"You're too young to have a wife and kid to go home to. You don't have to commit to that right now."

"Yes I do Manny," He lifted the girl of f of him and rolled her onto the bed. He looked at her as she laid underneath him. He had been here before. She reached up and rested her hand on his face. He kissed her again. His hands ran along the stomach that he had been watching all night. Manny's hands removed Craig's over shirt. She finished the work on his belt she had begun and started on his button fly. Craig's hands were underneath the tube top. As he did that he felt Manny's hands complete their search. He wanted this. It had been so long since he had been with Cass and even longer since Manny. _Cassidy...Adrienne..._ He rolled onto his back and forcefully removed Manny's hands from his boxers. "This wasn't my doing."

"What?" Manny looked confused.

"I wasn't the one who ended us, you did."

"I wasn't ready."

"I was."

"What if I am now?"

"It's too late. I love her Manny."

"But I love you."

"I loved you once Manny, but it's over."

"You don't want this?" She removed the tube top and leaned in to him again. He held her back and handed her back her shirt.

"Yes, Manny. I do, but I'd be no better then Sully, it wouldn't go past tonight."

"That's okay," Manny pleaded. "Just tonight." She kissed him one more time. He pushed her away and was redoing his fly as he walked toward the door.

"No," he said shutting the door behind him. He put his arms back through his white shirt and walked out the front door. He got in his car and finally breathed. He almost did it again. He caught a sharp breathe as he reached his foot for the clutch. His tight black pants were tighter then they had been ten minutes ago. He saw a pack of Cass' Camels sitting on the passenger's seat. He lit up and drove home as quickly as he could. He ran into the house praying that everyone was in bed, even if it was only eleven-thirty, he needed a shower.

"Hey baby, you're home early," Cass called from the couch. "I appreciate that."

"Oh yeah, of course." he was suddenly glad that Cass had left her cigarettes in the car, the smoke smell might just keep her from smelling Manny's perfume. He looked around the room. "Where is everybody?"

"Joey threw his back out right after you left. So he took one of those muscle relaxers he has and it knocked him out like a light. Caitlin got him to bed and tucked in Angela. We watched the movie and then she went to bed too. I was just waiting for you." Craig sat down next to her and saw the baby monitor on the end table.

"Is Adrienne asleep too?"

"Yup, he," before she could finish her sentence Craig was laying on top of her. He kissed her deeper then he had since Adrienne was born. She pushed the white shirt off of him quickly and was pulling the t-shirt off of him. She stopped and pulled away. "What's this about?"

"I miss you," he said kissing her neck and any other exposed skin he could.

"You were only gone for a couple hours," she laughed as he kissed her mouth roughly.

"No," he looked her in the eye and applied some pressure through her jeans. "I MISS you."

"Oh," she inhaled. "Craig, Joey said,"

"I don't care. Grab the monitor, let's go out to the garage."

"What has gotten into you Craig?"

"I have condoms in my guitar case, come on." He pulled her up into him and grabbed the monitor as he pulled her toward the door. Within two minutes Craig and Cass had shed their outer clothes and were on the hid-a-bed.

"Oh, Cass, I missed you so much," Craig said as she cuddled into his arms afterward.

"I missed you too, but we can't do this. Joey's right it is illegal and he's giving me a place to stay. What got into you anyway? I've never seen you like this." She turned to look at Craig.

"Honestly?"

"I would hope so."

"Promise not to get mad. Let me finish before you say anything."

"Craig," Cass had tears in her eyes. "What did you do?"

"Shh," he touched her face lightly. "I was in the bathroom at Heather's party and I heard two people arguing in the next room. I heard the girl tell the guy no, and he didn't listen, so I went in and dragged the guy off her and threw him out. The girl was Manny."

"Okay, and hearing your ex almost get raped turned you on so bad that you came home and dragged me to bed?"

"Not exactly."

"Well good, because I'd be a little skeeved."

"Manny was a mess and crying and so I let her cry on my shoulder. Well she kissed me and I said no, and we talked and she kissed me again. She started taking off my pants and I left, no more talking."

"That was it?"

"More or less. I could give you gory details, but that's the essence of what happened. I told her I was coming home to you and that there wasn't a chance for us anymore. But I have to admit it got me a little," he paused looking for the right word.

"Worked up?"

"Yeah, I swear nothing like this will ever happen again. I am so sorry. I shouldn't have gone to a party without you. I should have left when I threw Sully out and found Emma. I should have let Emma take care of Manny," as he was leaning to try to kiss her the monitor broadcasted a scream.

"Crap, Craig, put pants on and go get the baby before he waked up Joey and Caitlin, we'll talk tomorrow," she threw his sweat pants at him as he climbed out of bed. She pulled his t-shirt over her head. She heard his voice over the monitor. He hushed the baby and began to sing. She realized he must have written the song himself.

"_There is a world where everything is how it's meant to be. / But where we are is where we've been, you and me./ But I will find that other place and I will give it to you./ You are my future and my past/ You are my life's greatest achievement/ I'll do everything you ever need for you."_

The song ended and the baby had stopped crying, but Cass had begun. Tears rolled down her face silently as she pulled the blankets around her. She realized for the first time how truly messed up their situation was. She had some sense of it before, and her answers seemed to be limited to leaving him. Now she realized that she couldn't do that to him. It would hurt him too much. She had no idea what to do, but something needed to be done.


	4. 

Chapter 7

Cass walked into the TV studio with the baby in a selendang the next morning. She looked for Caitlin's office and found her sitting behind her desk.

"Hey guys, come in." Caitlin took the baby from the sling and kissed Cass on the cheek. "What's up?"

"I thought you might want to get lunch, you left your sandwich in the fridge, so I wanted Ethiopian, thought I'd see if you'd keep me company. Spike's meeting me there."

"Where's Craig, it's Saturday?"

"He had a band gig at some fair at school. So you coming?"

"Definitely, I was just wondering what I'd do for lunch. Just need to let my assistant know I'm going."

Twenty minutes later they were getting off the subway in downtown Toronto. They walked into the restaurant and found Spike at a table. They sat down and Caitlin kept Adrienne in her lap while she cooed at him.

"You are the cutest thing ever."

"Grandma Caitlin, you know you could have one of your own," Spike laughed at her.

"I am the only thirty year old grandma in the world who has never been a ma first." Caitlin said.

"You and Joey thinking of having one anytime soon?" Cass asked pulling bottle out of the selendang and handing it to her.

"I think we'll get married first," she paused as if she had said something terribly wrong. "I mean, I am so sorry guys, I didn't meant to be insensitive."

"Relax Caitlin," Spike put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I don't know about Cass, but I think we always meant to be married first too. We understand."

"Yeah, but at least you and Snake GOT married, even if you were pregnant first."

"You and Craig are getting married, just not right away," Caitlin said feeding the baby.

"Yeah, I'm not sure if that's actually a viable option."

"Things aren't going well at the Jeremiah-Ryan-Manning-Nelson household?" Spike asked.

"Things seem to be going okay," Caitlin looked confused. "I mean there's no fighting, even Joey and Craig seem to be okay after their little spats when Adrienne was first born."

"Can I talk to you guys about something? I mean, can we keep it here between us and not yell at me for being stupid...AGAIN?"

"Of course," Caitlin was worried for her less then perfect, less then little, family.

"Craig came home last night and he was," she paused trying not to be graphic, "a little hormonal. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah," Spike did her best to not get any mental images, "go on."

"Well I didn't ask, I just got caught up in the moment."

"Cassidy Anna Nelson," Spike was visibly disappointed

"I KNOW Spike! But it's been such a long time, we are in love."

"Okay, we'll let that go, I'm sure there's a point to this?"

"There is. Afterwards, we were in the garage, and I ask him, you know, what had gotten in to him. It turned out he had a run in with Manny at that party. He said she kissed him and tried to take his clothes off and then he left. I'm not an idiot, as worked up as he was obviously it was a little more then that. I trust him, I know he didn't sleep with her, but he wanted to. I know he did. And then the baby started crying so I sent him upstairs to take care of Adrienne. So as he's going up there I rethought the idea of going to stay with my dad now that he is in Vancouver."

"Oh Cass," Caitlin looked heartbroken for her.

"Wait, it gets more complicated. I had the baby monitor and I heard him singing to the baby. He wrote a lullaby for him."

"Awe," Spike's eyes welled a little but. "That is quite sweet."

"I know. He loves Adrienne so much, but I don't think this is going to work. He obviously still has feelings for Manny, and I'm keeping him from being a kid."

"Okay," Caitlin put a hand up. "You're stopping him from having sex with other girls? Given his track record I think you're doing him a HUGE favor."

"That's not what I mean. I mean that if I married the first, or second, guy I slept with when I was sixteen I would be," she paused, "married to Pete. I am the world's biggest screw-up. Pete and I had such a good thing going and I messed it up."

"You told your father that you and Pete never had sex until you moved in together last year."

"Spike," she rolled her eyes at her aunt. "I need help here, what am I supposed to do?"

"Why don't you bring Craig in two weeks?"

"What's in two weeks?" Caitlin asked.

"Our yearly family camping trip to Algonquin Park. My mom, Cass' grandparents, her dad, and us."

"Wait, I thought Cass, wait you don't have any brothers, I never thought of that."

"Cass' grandfather and my mom are brother and sister, we have a close family. Sid was always like a big brother more then a cousin. And every year, since before Emma was born, we have gone to Algonquin Park and go camping for five days after school got out."

"Well that sounds like fun," Caitlin looked at Cass for confirmation.

"It's great," Cass was un-enthused . "But why would I bring Craig?"

"Because it will give you guys time to be alone, you know your dad and the grandparents will want to coo at the babies. You can talk these things out."

"I guess so. Oh I got some good news this morning in the mail. Seems some of my high school art credits transferred and I didn't know it. All I have left is to do an internship and then I'm done school. And if I can find a paid gig and get approval then it will count toward the internship. I am DONE school. It turns out summer classes and all that have paid off. I would have been done a year early if I hadn't taken off to have the baby."

"Cass, that's amazing! Do you want me to put out feelers for magazine jobs?" Caitlin asked.

"That would be great. I do not want to go back to tending bar. Thank you Caitlin."

"Not a problem."

"So," Spike looked resolved, "we are going to not make any drastic moves until after the camping trip and you finding an internship."

"Okay, I can live with that," Cass said dipping her Injera into the spiced lamb that had been placed in front of her. They ate and made small talk until Cass stared down at her watch. "Crap, Craig goes on in 45 minutes and I was going to go home and get changed. I haven't seen Downtown Sasquatch play yet and I promised I'd be there for their second set."

"Do you want a ride?" Spike asked.

"I didn't bring a car seat, I'd feel safer riding the subway. I can make it if I leave now."

"Okay sweetheart, I got the bill," said Caitlin, "Cheer real loud for me." She handed the baby to Cass who secured him in the selendang. She jumped on the subway and found herself winded when she ran up the stairs to Degrassi. She ran into the gym and saw the band tuning as people meandered from booth to booth all around the school.

"Hey sexy," Craig jumped off the stage and gave her a kiss. His voice dropped to a hush. "I didn't want to wake you this morning. Are we okay?"

"We're okay," she kissed him and then he reached into the pouch and pulled out the baby. "Listen in two weeks we're going camping with my family, so please don't make any plans."

"Your family?"

"Yeah, the Nelson-Simpsons, Spike's mom, my dad, and my grandparents."

"Your dad? He's going to hate me."

"No he won't. He's not irrational. Don't worry about it. Just get up there and play your heart out, okay?"

"Okay. I love you," he kissed her and handed Adrienne back to her.

"I love you too."

"Awe, how sweet, a happy family." A dark haired girl said under her breath as she passed.

"Can I help you?" Cass got suddenly defensive.

"No," the girl answered.

"Ashley," Craig rolled his eyes. "I thought we were passed this."

"We are, you're in our way we're on next." Hell Hath No Fury got on stage and the boys took their instruments with them. Cass stared at the stage as the girls sang and Craig wrapped his arms around her.

"_This song is the price for breaking my heart. Shouldda written these words to you right from the start..._" The song continued and Cass could feel Craig getting uncomfortable.

"Is this about you?" she asked.

"Yup," Craig rested his head on top of Cass'. "But our best one is about her so what am I gonna do? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I know you have a past, so do I. I just don't enjoy the fact that your trying to make a career out of yours, but I can live with it."

"I'm lucky to have you."

"Yeah, you are," she laughed and then kissed his cheek. "I'm going to get something to drink."

Cass walked around the fair looking at all the booths and quickly realized that this was a health fair. Her stomach just about twisted in half when she realized that she was standing in front of the family planning booth holding her illegitimate son. There was a girl with long dark hair standing near by looking at her. She wore something that looked to Cass as if it was from a Britney Spears collection. Emma walked up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey," Emma gave her a hug and then, as most people did, cooed at Adrienne.

"Hey Em, that girl over there is staring at me, who is she?"

"Who?" Emma looked where Cass had motioned. "Oh that's my friend Manny."

"Geez, how many more ex-girlfriends does he have lurking in the corners. I knew this was a bad idea."

"What?"

"Oh I just had a run in with Ashley before they went on stage, then there was that song."

"Mr. Nice-Guy. Yeah, it's a good song though. Was Ashley rude?"

"Yeah, a little, and now Manny is staring at me."

"Well now she's coming over."

"Hey Emma. Hi, I'm Manny," she offered her hand to Cass.

"Cassidy," Cass answered and shook with her free hand.

"Yeah, you're Craig's new girlfriend."

"And your Craig's ex-girlfriend."

"Yeah, kinda, I guess I never really was his girlfriend." Manny looked at her shoes. Cass almost felt sorry for her until she remembered the story from the night before.

"I heard you guys had a good time at the party last night?" Cass raised an eyebrow at Manny. Manny was visibly uncomfortable.

"What happened to Craig last night? He just disappeared," Emma looked confused and Manny became even more uncomfortable.

"He came home, it's been a long time since we've," she paused for punctuation and looked directly at Manny, "you know. Spent time alone."

"Cass," Emma giggled, "I don't want to hear that!"

"What Emma? We have a baby. I know your mom, she's explained this to you."

"I know, I just didn't need to know that he left the party to go home and have sex."

"Okay, well don't worry. It doesn't happen often, and I'll never tell you about it again." Emma saw Chris and ran over to him and started to pull him toward the family planning booth where they had gathered.

"So Craig told you about the party huh?" Manny said quietly. Cass said nothing. She reached behind her and picked something up off the booth. She pressed it into Manny's hand sure that no one could see..

"Sometimes the pill isn't enough," Cass turned to Chris and started talking. Manny looked at the foil square in her hand. The girls on stage received a raucous cheer as they left the stage. Cass suddenly realized why Craig had demanded her attendance.

"Hi, we're Downtown Sasquatch, and I know you're all waiting for our award winning number, but first I'd like to dedicate this to my fiance and my son." The music started. "_There is a world where everything is how it's meant to be. / But where we are is where we've been, you and me./ But I will find that other place and I will give it to you./ You are my future and my past/ You are my life's greatest achievement/ I'll do everything you ever need for you./ This world can not understand why you love me too./ But I know that all I see is you and me./And I can not count the ways you've bettered everything about me./ You are my future and my past./ You are my life's greatest achievement/ I'll do everything you ever need for you. /You've given me more then I knew I could have dreamed of./ No dream could equal the joy of all you have let me see./ So please just tonight can we let this dream sit and be_._/ You are my future and my past/ You are my life's greatest achievement./ I'll do everything you ever need for you./ You are everything I ever need from you./ I'll do everything you ever need for you / You are everything I ever need from you._" The crowd erupted in cheers and Emma put a hand on Cass. The tears running down her face were warm and she walked quickly toward the door. She sat on the steps she had walked on everyday in high school. It felt so foreign now. It was like she came to school naked. The doors behind her opened.

"He always has the right words when he's got a guitar in his hands." Ashley sat down next to her. "I don't hate him, or you, I'm sorry for my attitude earlier."

"It's fine, I'm Cass by the way."

"Ashley," they shook hands. "Can I hold him?"

"Yeah, he will probably fall asleep, he usually does when Craig sings. Even when we're sitting in the garage during rehearsal, I will never understand it." She handed the baby to the teenager.

"He's beautiful. He looks like Craig. I guess you know our past, even if it's Craig's side of the story."

"You'd be surprised how close to the truth Craig's side usually is, especially when he thinks telling the truth is going to get him somewhere. I know it's hard to believe, but he's become polygraphic lately."

"That is hard to believe. So are you guys really going to get married?"

"Eventually, hopefully. If I tell you something, think you can keep it a secret?"

"Um," Ashley looked at her strangely. "Sure."

"Well, Craig came home last night and Manny had tried to get him in bed again. Well she did get him in bed. He says he said no, and nothing happened. I believe him, like I said, polygraphic."

"At least he said no this time."

"Because when he came home I'd have sex with him, and he knew that," Cass looked like she was going to cry.

"I don't mean to be rude, but why are you talking to me like this?"

"Because you know that he has all the right words with that damn instrument in his hands. That little boy in your arms is a result of that damn music. But I love him, what can I say? I'm an idiot."

"No, there's something good there. If there weren't then I wouldn't have wanted to die when he cheated on me. The better the guy the worse it hurts when he screws you over, and Craig's the best." Ashley stood when she saw Craig exit the gym behind them and she handed the baby to him. "Don't be an idiot Craig, because you're not. She loves you, and I think you actually do love her too."

Craig just looked confused as he took Adrienne and then Ashley walked away. He sat down beside Cass and reached over to wipe the single tear that was rolling down her left cheek. He pulled the selendang off her shoulder and put it on. He put the baby inside and wrapped an arm around Cassidy.

"You wanna go home?"

"Yeah," she allowed her petite frame to fit underneath his arm as he slung his guitar over his other shoulder. They walked out of the school and Ellie was walking out with Ashley.

"Craig," Ellie called. He turned around and saw a video camera pointed at them. "Thanks, wouldn't have been a video diary of our grade eleven class without a picture of our first family." Craig smiled as Ashley and Ellie did the same.

"Craig, we're cool."

"So are we," Cass said smiling at the girl wishing that she could rewind time and save all of them all the pain they had experienced in the last two years. Craig kissed the top of Cass' head as they headed down the front step toward the car.

"_Another day/ Another choice/ Today I did right by the moon._" Craig sang softly to the sleeping baby he was putting in the car. "You guys are the best thing to ever happen to my writing."

"Who are you kidding? We're the best thing that everhappened to you period."


End file.
